# Save/Insert timestamps in MongoDB

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/save-insert-timestamps-in-mongodb/4222>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [23 October 2018 15:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/save-insert-timestamps-in-mongodb/4222 "2018-10-23T15:40:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![GrtVHecke](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/grtvhecke/32/30273_2.png) [@GrtVHecke](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/GrtVHecke)\
**Post date:** [23 October 2018 15:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/save-insert-timestamps-in-mongodb/4222/1 "2018-10-23T15:40:30Z")

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I need to insert timestamps in MongoDB. I used the Mongo3 driver.

I stated the object like this

"ts": {  
"$date:: "2018-10-23T15:23:59.106Z"  
}

But on save it says that the field may not contain a $ sign.

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**Author:** ![dceejay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dceejay/32/38_2.png) [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)\
**Post date:** [23 October 2018 18:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/save-insert-timestamps-in-mongodb/4222/2 "2018-10-23T18:30:37Z")

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Errrr so don’t use a $ sign in the variable name ?

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**Author:** ![GrtVHecke](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/grtvhecke/32/30273_2.png) [@GrtVHecke](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/GrtVHecke)\
**Post date:** [23 October 2018 21:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/save-insert-timestamps-in-mongodb/4222/3 "2018-10-23T21:38:16Z")

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@deejay maybe my post was not clear.

I want to insert a date in MongoDB and have mongo treat it as a date and not a string. I can find in the net that instemde if my duels ta havinf the ISO time string as a value I need to embed a document with $date in it (extended json).

So this was already tovtry to have it inserted as a timestamp. Without that it inserts in MongoDB but as a string even if my timesamp is ISO formatted.